Dry July Foundation

"Cancer changed my options for the future. But it didn’t change my determination. I will achieve my goals.”

What do I do with my life? It’s a question Maddy, 20 was forced to confront in a big way after being diagnosed with an aggressive bone cancer called metastis osteosarcoma that started in her leg and had spread to her lungs.

Back then, Maddy was a promising gymnast, but her cancer treatment involved removal of her shinbone, knee joint and part of her thighbone.

“Throughout my life, my doctors will have to replace these bones,” Maddy explains. “It can be painful to walk long distances, but this has become my new normal.”

The cruellest blow was that Maddy couldn’t return to the gymnastics mat – her place to shine.

Like so many cancer survivors, Maddy now had to set a new direction for her future, but she had missed 18 months of school. With support from Redkite’s Education and Career Consultants, she was able to access tutoring to catch up on her subjects, and was soon back on track with her peers.

“Being a teenager and getting cancer is very tough. Redkite was amazing in helping out,” she says.

It wasn’t long before Maddy had an ambitious new plan to become an international corporate lawyer. With passion and dogged determination, she aced her exams and got into law at university.

“My goal is to work with a big firm with lots of global connections,” she says.

Maddy also received a Redkite scholarship to help cover her university costs, so that she could focus all her energy on her studies.

“Text books are expensive, and this scholarship also helps with my fees,” Maddy says. “It really takes some of the pressure off and makes it that much easier.”

Six years since her diagnosis, Maddy is cancer free today. Her family is so proud of the way she has somersaulted over the hurdles cancer brought. Maddy has just one year left before she graduates and is close to her dream of being a hot shot lawyer!

Life can throw anyone a curve ball as Hugh, 17, and his family discovered when he was diagnosed with bone cancer. Yet in little over a year, Hugh was back on the path to achieving his dreams – and then some.

Hugh was happily juggling school with a busy competitive cricket schedule.

So, it was no surprise to Hugh’s mum Lee when he complained of a pain in his left leg. “We thought it was normal,” Hugh recalls. “Mum said ‘You're playing cricket three times a week, you have to expect some aches and pains’.”

Still, Lee sent Hugh to see his physiotherapist Ben. It was so fortunate she did. Ben suspected something serious. He immediately ordered an ultrasound.

“Even we could see something wasn't good,” says Hugh. “The ultrasound pictures looked like honeycomb. They asked us to wait for an X-ray and a CAT scan. We were starting to worry.”

Soon after, Hugh was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancerous tumour in his left fibula (knee bone). His family was in shock.

Just 15 days later, Hugh began nine months of life-saving treatment., Hugh was told he could lose his left leg, and with it potentially his dreams of cricket success.

“I had 12 weeks of chemotherapy, then limb salvage surgery to remove the tumour and a further 12 weeks of chemotherapy,” Hugh remembers. “It was exhausting, but fortunately I was in good hands and I didn’t lose my leg.”

Hugh was determined to stay positive and continued to go to school when he was well enough during chemotherapy. He even competed in his school athletics carnival, his mate huffing and puffing as he pushed Hugh’s wheelchair in the 800 metre sprint.

Not surprisingly, cricket remained Hugh’s priority.

“I went to cricket training as often as I could,” he says. “I couldn't train but would stand at the nets offering advice and sometimes I ran drills for my coaches.”

The support of Hugh’s family was vital to cope with the ups and downs of cancer treatment. And Redkite’s help made sure his parents and big brother Finn could be there for Hugh from the moment he entered hospital. It began when Hugh received the signature Redkite Red Bag full of essentials to make the hospital stay more comfortable for them.

And like many parents of young people receiving cancer treatment, Hugh’s mum Lee had to stop working to care for him. Redkite also provided vital financial support during this time to help cover bills, groceries and petrol. This really took the pressure off.

Just before Christmas, after nine months of treatment, Hugh received momentous news - his body showed no evidence of cancer.

It was at this point that Redkite Education and Career Specialists facilitated tutoring for Hugh, so he could catch up on missed education and keep pace with his peers. Hugh also received a Dare to Dream Scholarship from Redkite, to use to pursue his cricket career.

Recently, Hugh was offered the chance to play the 2018 cricket season with an English club – a life-changing opportunity. He is well on the way to achieving his dreams.

Yet, Hugh says it’s also the simple things that mean the most right now. “I have enjoyed learning to drive and hanging out with friends,” he says. “Just being a normal teenager feels pretty good!”

Having cancer is pretty awful for anyone, but having cancer when you are a Mum is really different. Mummy’s Wish helps families navigate a practical pathway through treatment to help reduce the burden and negative impact on young families. 

Dry July has funded the development of a Guide For Mums With Cancer which will enable Mummy’s Wish to capture all of the valuable knowledge of our Support Coordinators, like Ali, so that our Mums can easily access information when, and in a format, that suits them. The guide will also be an invaluable resource for hospital social workers and cancer care coordinators.

You can view the Guide For Mums With Cancer here: https://mummyswish.org.au/guide-for-mums-with-cancer/ 

MEET ALISON 

Alison is one of our dedicated Mummy’s Wish support coordinators. She used to be a nurse and decided to take on a coordinator role because it felt like such a real and direct way of helping people who need it right now. 

Alison says that many of the mums that she works with simply don’t know how to ask for help and are overwhelmed by the decisions that they have to make in a short space of time. 

“I don't think people know where to start looking for help – or how. Then they speak to a coordinator here, and they know we get it. We understand. We're mums ourselves and we understand some of the challenges that they're facing at the moment - some of the practical, difficult things that they're trying to sort out and deal with. 

So, the family that I spoke to this morning, well, they don't even know where to start looking for childcare for a two-and-a-half-year-old. They've not needed to put the two-and-a-half-year-old into childcare but all of a sudden, you know, mum's going to be having radiotherapy and she's going to need to be at the hospital which is 30 kilometers away, for five days a week for five weeks. She can't take a two-and-a-half-year-old with her, so how's she going to find childcare? I know that I can point her in the right direction and help her through that process.” 

MEET RENEE

On Christmas Eve in 2014, Renee was in hospital after an emergency appendectomy, waiting for her surgeon to discharge her. When the doctor walked into the room she and her husband knew immediately from his face that the news was going to be hard to hear.  

On Christmas day, Renee had to tell her family that she had a very rare form of cancer in her appendix and that she needed to be re-admitted before the day was finished. 

Renee’s children were aged four, six and eight years old. The year ahead for them was going to be confusing and upsetting. Not only was their mummy having to spend lots of time in hospital, when she was home she was too exhausted and nauseous to play with them like before.  

Renee told me that she was very worried about her kids. She asked what support there was to help them process what was happening to their mum. She was given a pamphlet that guided her on how to tell her kids – but nothing practical.  

I am so proud to tell you that one of my team here at Mummy’s Wish was able to step in. Renee told me that she was on her third round of chemo when she spoke with Kylie, a Mummy’s Wish support coordinator. Not only did Mummy’s Wish provide voice recordable Comfort Bears for her children to cuddle whilst she was in hospital, we also provided access to information, resources and other services that were able to help reduce the burden during Renee’s 18 month long battle with cancer. 

“The bears really helped my kids. I just did a simple message like, ‘it's mummy here I'm in hospital right now, but I'll be home soon, love you!’”.  

And even though she was still very unwell the following Christmas, I am delighted to tell you that here in 2018 she is no longer being supported by Mummy’s Wish as she is living cancer free. 

Renee is now one of our much loved volunteers – she works tirelessly because she knows first hand how invaluable support is for mums with cancer. 

Renee’s wish:

"Obviously the thing I want most is a cure for cancer. I am currently cancer free but I know that there are many mums who are facing a more uncertain future. 

Aside from that, I wish we (Mummy’s Wish) could help every single mum that needs us."

We’re delighted to announce the 43 cancer support organisations who are the recipients of this year’s Dry July Foundation Grant Program. The Grant Program is made possible through funds raised during the 2017 Dry July campaign.

Of the 19,000 Dry July participants in 2017, 13,600 chose to directly support the Dry July Foundation, meaning their fundraising was allocated to the Grant Program in their nominated state.

The Dry July Foundation then invited cancer support organisations across Australia to submit applications to benefit from these funds. Each application was capped at $50,000, however organisations can apply for more than one project. We received applications for 118 projects, and with $2 million available in the Grant Program, we were able to fund 95 of these projects.

Congratulations to this year’s Grant Program recipients:

DRY JULY NATIONAL GRANTS 

Look Good Feel Better

- Workshops held nationally across 239 venues for those dealing with the effects of chemotherapy

Prostate Cancer Foundation

- Prostate counselling services for men and their families affected by prostate cancer

Leukaemia Foundation

- Provision of a new 12 seater bus for regional and rural patients to access metropolitan care in Queensland

Redkite

- Career advice service for young adults affected by cancer

Breast Cancer Network Australia

- Information forum for latest treatment and care for those affected by a breast cancer diagnosis

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY GRANTS

Canberra Hospital

- Radiation Oncology waiting room refurbishment

- ICU Patient support – comfortable patient seating, ipads and palliative care memory boxes

- Cervical dilators for Ovarian cancer patient Comfort

NEW SOUTH WALES GRANTS

Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre – Mount Druitt

- Palliative care refurbishment - Mount Druitt Hospital.

Calvary Mater Hospital Newcastle

- 3D printing for radiation guides, ensuring speed and comfort of fitting.

- Oncology occupational equipment loan program for outpatients.

Cancer Council NSW

- Information support packs for newly diagnosed cancer patients.

- Renovate family accommodation facility in Orange.

- Cancer in the School Community' Information Booklet for NSW Schools.

Central Coast Local Health District

- CoastCanCare Wellness Program

Concord Hospital

- Chemotherapy diaries.

- Cancer survivorship classes

Chris O’Brien Lifehouse

- Level 9 North fitout

- Nutritional meal software for patients

- Online meditation program at home.

The Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre (Westmead Hospital)

- Radiation therapy printed gowns

- Art program at Crown Princess Mary cancer centre.

- Recliner recover chairs in Haematology ward.

- Refresh renovated ward fixtures and furniture on cancer ward.

- Ward equipment that improves patient comfort and treatment, oxygen, observation and ECG machines.

Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre

- Wellness Centre Support Programs (Pilates/Yoga, Qi Gong, Thai Chi, Zumba, Nutrition, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Hypnotherapy)

- Wall art and ceiling boxes in radiation bunkers

Moruya District Hospital

- Connections, a psychoeducational group

Manning Hospital

- Exercise program for those affected by cancer

Royal North Shore Hospital

- Video with nutrition education and advice

- Water cooler – ice and water during chemotherapy

- Information brochure – communicating good cancer care

St George Hospital

- Beverage bay in chemotherapy day unit facility

- Three new Chemotherapy chairs

- 25 comfortable waiting room chairs

St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney

- Complimentary therapy treatments for patients experiencing hardship

- Fitout of family quiet room

Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation

- Lounges, seating and wifi in waiting area

Wollongong Hospital

- Renovate reception and waiting area

NORTHERN TERRITORY GRANTS 

Cancer Council NT

- Mens’ cancer health workshops

QUEENSLAND GRANTS

Cancer Council Queensland

- Gluyas Rotary lodge bathroom and laundry refurbishments.

Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation

- Chemotherapy chairs for day therapy at Cairns Hospital

Gold Coast Hospital Foundation

- Cancer Patient Transport Service

Mater Cancer Care Centre

- Syringe drivers for palliative care patients

The OTIS Foundation

- Additional Queensland retreats for breast cancer patients and their families

SOUTH AUSTRALIA GRANTS

Cancer Council SA

- Flinders Lodge rooms refurbishment

- Greenhill Lodge rooms refurbishment

Cancer Patients Foundation

- Additional Look Good Feel Better courses in South Australia

Flinders Foundation

- Oncology Massage Program in Ward 5G

TASMANIA

Cancer Council Tasmania

- Southern Support Centre specialised support facilities project

VICTORIA

The Alfred

- Sky ceilings in radiotherapy bunkers

Barwon Health

- Exercise Therapy Program

- Vehicle to provide Transport to Treatment for those affected by cancer

Bendigo Health

- Wellness program for cancer patients

Cancer Council Victoria

- Information hubs in regional Victoria

- Program to educate patients and families on the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis.

Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research & Wellness Centre

- Oncology massage programs

- Yoga program for cancer patients

- Art and creativity program

- Exercise equipment

Peter MacCullum Cancer Foundation

- Mindfulness program

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne

- Scalp cooling machine for those affected by chemotherapy (pictured)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA GRANTS

Cancer Council Western Australia

- Wellness program; yoga, meditation and exercise at Crawford and Milroy patient accommodation lodges.

SolarisCare Cancer Support Centres

- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program

- Portable back massage cushions

The OTIS Foundation

- WA beachside retreats for breast cancer patients and their families

(Pictured: Paxman Scalp Cooling Cap, funded at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne)

The Otis Foundation sources time in holiday homes for the use of families affected by breast cancer. Owners donate the use of their holiday homes and Dry July's funding covers cleaning and linen services incurred in providing access at no charge to the recipients. 

Queensland mother-of-three Heather Lloyd ( pictured with family) said the time she had spent with her family at a Sunshine Coast retreat following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 was both healing and powerful.

"It was a holiday we could not afford financially after treatment and loss of income, yet it was exactly what we all needed," she said.